Sustainable Business

New Compostable Soda Cups and Lids Launch at Burgerville

We’re giddy with excitement here at Burgerville today with the official launch of our new, commercially compostable soda cups – especially since we’re the first restaurant chain of our type in the nation to launch them company-wide!

The launch of Burgerville’s new, compostable ecotainer® soft drink cups and lids, in cooperation with our sustainability colleagues at International Paper and Coca-Cola, represents the last major component of our packaging waste stream to go compostable.  The program isn’t perfect yet, and we still have a few non-recyclable or compostable challenges ahead of us, like plastic and foil ketchup and dressing packs, but the soda cups were the last big component to divert out of the landfill!

The hands-on participation and feedback from everyone who eats and works in our restaurants is what really brings our composting, recycling and sustainable packaging system to life. It’s a work in progress, so we’re interested in hearing what you think. What’s working about the program? What’s not working? What ideas do you have to make it easier for more people in our region and in the world to reduce waste and make a difference together by composting and recycling all we can?

Post comments, questions and brilliant ideas here, and join us on our composting, recycling and sustainable packaging journey! We’ll also be posting more blogs this month with updates on our program and answers to frequently asked questions, so stay tuned!

About the author

Alison

Alison Dennis stewards Burgerville’s sustainable values from the farm to the table to the compost bin. She coordinates action toward a future in which the most profitable companies take the best care of people and the planet we share, and for Burgerville serving as a practical model of this future today.

  • Ray1938
    Are Burgerville employees pulling the compostable cups and lids out of the trash and recycling them?
  • Tim
    Kudos on the compostable cups and straws! Now where do we compost them?
  • Pat
    Thank you thank you thank you! I'm off to add your cup and spoon to my compost pile. Thank you!
  • Shyama
    This is really cool! It would be awesome if you figured out how to make compostable ketchup packets. I see those littered on the ground all the time. Ugly.
  • alisondennis
    Thanks! ...And yes, pre-portioned packaging (like ketchup packets and salad dressing pouches) is the next frontier for sustainable packaging innovation! Count on us to share your concern and encouragement to our suppliers.
  • MarkA
    Like Kris & Lynn a few weeks ago, what does one do with these now? I asked the cashier/server, and she didn't know. She suggested visiting this website. Notwithstanding Kris & Lynn's comments, I still don't see that info here. Is this one of the 'kinks' to work out? I've checked with our recycling here in Washington County, Oregon, and they do NOT want these items in the 'recycling' system. They aren't lawn debris, so they can't go in that bin either. So ... nice idea, but apparently your own employees don't know how this works, and you haven't put this info in easily accessible place. There should be info @ the counters about this. Otherwise, this sounds like nothing more than greenwashing ... sounds good, but doesn't have any practical impact, as we toss these into the garbage?
  • Kevin Brown
    Have you also found a way to have a recyclable straw for soft drinks? It seems to me that would be the only remaining obstacle as straws are such a problem to deal with.
  • Kris
    what are we supposed to do with the cups we bring home? Does Portland have a city compost facility site we can drop off at?
  • Lynn
    I have the same question re: what to do at home with compostable cups and lids. Do they go in my yard debris or recyclables bin -- or end up in trashcan?
  • Wendy
    I was at Burgerville yesterday, going through the drive thru near Bridgeport. I was disappointed to realize after I was back on I-5-- that I was given 6 napkins along with my burger and fries. Is there a standard number of napkins that employees should give-- seems pretty wasteful.
blog comments powered by Disqus

Recent

Twitter

follow bvsustainable